what we believe

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.1 Peter 3:15

GODWe believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of a possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in the great work of redemption, and equal in divine perfection, yet one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14 n).JESUSWe believe in the deity and the sinless humanity of Jesus Christ, who is none other than God the Son manifest in the flesh, and in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells forever. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son. We believe He died for our sins, rose from the grave, ascended back to Heaven and that He ever lives to make intercession for us. (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5) (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2).

HE HOLY SPIRITWe believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that he was active in the creation; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine Administrator for Jesus Christ in His churches. We believe that miraculous spiritual manifestation gifts were done away with when the Bible was completed. Faith, Hope and Love are the vital abiding Spiritual Gifts. (John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).

THE BIBLEWe believe the whole Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is the verbally inspired and infallible complete Word of God, and that it is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human creeds, conducts and opinions should be tried. We accept the King James Version of the Bible as the textbook in our church.I Thessalonian 2:13, II Timothy 3:16, Psalms 12:6-8.

CREATIONWe believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after his own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state. The consequence of which is that all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but by nature and by choice; and therefore under just condemnation and without excuse.

SALVATIONWe believe salvation is by grace plus nothing, minus nothing, and once saved, always saved; that all men are sinners needing a Saviour. We believe that the depraved sinner is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the prerequisites to regeneration are repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates, seals, secures, and indwells every believer. We believe that all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation are eternally secure in Him and shall not perish. We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that his atonement consisted in the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree.

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel.

We believe salvation is bestowed solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood and not in consideration of any works of righteousness that we have done or may do. We believe that Christians are called unto a life (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1, 2). We believe that God deals with believers as His children, that He chastens the disobedient and that He rewards the obedient.

THE CHURCHWe believe that Jesus Christ established His church during His ministry on earth and that it is always a local, visible assembly of scriptural baptized believers in covenant relationship and designed to carry out the Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. Each church is an independent, self-governing body and no other ecclesiastical body may exercise authority over it. We believe the true mission of the church is found in the great commission – to make and baptize individual disciples and to teach and instruct them as He has commanded. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only Head of the church; that all believers are equally priests unto God; that ordination, while it recognizes position, bestows no power; that the local church is independent and sovereign.

We believe that there are two divinely appointed offices in a church; pastors and deacons, to be filled by men whose qualifications are set forth in Titus and 1 Timothy.

We believe that all churches are responsible to preach the gospel to every creature, by member’s personal evangelism and by sending and supporting missionaries. We believe in a lineage of churches that maintain the Word of God and doctrine that existed in the church that Jesus built during His earthly ministry. Matt 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; I Corinthians 15: 51-58; Ephesians 1:12-14; Ephesians 5:25-30; I Thes 4:13-18; I Timothy 3:4-15).

We are Baptist – by this we mean that we hold to the historic beliefs and practices, which have prevailed among Baptists from the time of Jesus. In every period of time, since Christ established His church during His earthly ministry, there have been churches that were Baptist in faith and practice. They did not always wear the name Baptist, but they believed and practiced Baptist doctrine, which is none other than Bible doctrine. Baptists did not come out of the Reformation under Martin Luther, for they were never a part of the Catholic Church. In fact Baptists were on the scene long before the Catholic Church ever came into existence. For those who are interested in studying more on this subject we highly recommend The Trail of Blood, by J. M. Carroll.

We do not believe in a so-called “Universal Invisible Church.” We believe that Jesus established a local, visible church, and we are sure that this is the only kind of true church that is in existence today. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent of each church is Christ through the Holy Spirit; and that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel, including the sending and supporting of missionaries.

We believe the Bride of Christ will be composed of members of the Lord’s true New Testament Baptist Churches.

BAPTISMScriptural baptism is the immersion of penitent believers in water, administered by the authority of a New Testament Baptist Church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is not a condition for salvation but is a prerequisite to joining the church.

THE LORD’S SUPPERThe Lord’s Supper is a memorial ordinance. We believe that only members of our local body are to partake of the Lord’s Supper with us. The elements of the Lord’s Supper are unleavened bread and grape juice-the pure fruit of the vine.

MISSIONSWe are Missionary Baptist, and believe the command to give the gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and this commission was given to the true churches.

Matt. 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

John 20:21, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Romans 10:13-15, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Acts 13:1-4, “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the Petrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.”

GIVINGWe believe God’s plan of finance to be tithes and offerings. Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the Faith. We are commanded to bring our gifts into the storehouse (common treasury of the church) upon the first day of the week. Under grace we give, and do not pay, the tithe — “Abraham GAVE a tenth part of all . . . Abraham GAVE the tenth of the spoils,” Heb. 7:2, 4, and this was four hundred years before the law, and is confirmed in the New Testament; Jesus said concerning the tithe, “These ought ye to have done” — Mat. 23:23.

THE RAPTUREWe believe the second coming of Christ (rapture) is imminent; and at this event the dead in Christ will rise first and those Christians alive will be changed and caught up to meet Him in the air. We believe the rapture of the saints will be pre-millennial.

SATANWe believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the archenemy of God and man, and that his destiny is the eternal lake of fire. We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world.

We hold him to be man’s tempter, the enemy of God and Christ. He is the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of all the powers of darkness — destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son,

WORSHIPWe believe in freedom of worship without interference from the government and affirm our belief in civil obedience, unless the laws and regulations of civil government run contrary to the Holy Scriptures.

CIVIL GOVERNMENTWe believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth. Gen. 1:27; 2:7; Matt. 6:6-7, 24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Rom. 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Gal. 5:1, 13; Phil. 3:20; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.

HUMAN SEXUALITYWe believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-10; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom 1:24-32; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thes. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4). We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)

ABORTIONWe believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; Luke 1:44)

CLOSING STATEMENT ABOUT OUR BELIEFSThe above statements concerning many of our beliefs does not exhaust the extent of our faith and beliefs. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe that our core beliefs accurately represent the teaching of the Bible.